Frontotemporal Dementia.

• Frontotemporal Dementia or frontal lobe dementia is the name given to dementia due to degeneration or damage to the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain.  These parts of the brain control mood, personality, social behaviour, attention, judgement, reasoning, planning your day-to-day living and self-control.

• Signs and symptoms of frontotemporal dementia include-

• Personality change, becoming more withdrawn and socially isolated or hyperactive, impulsive.

• Lack of inhibition with socially inappropriate behaviour including rudeness and loudness in social situations.

• Loss of empathy and understanding with others.

• Poor judgement

• Repetitive compulsive behaviours including compulsive eating.

• Inability to concentrate or plan different day-to-day activities.

• Frequent and abrupt mood changes including verbal and physical aggression

• Deteriorating language with speech difficulties including understanding the meaning of words, finding words and getting the words out.

• Memory is generally unaffected in the early stages.

• Frontotemporal dementia is very hard to treat.  It is generally poorly responsive to medications such as anti-psychotics and sedatives to try and calm down aggression and agitation.

• It doesn’t respond to the Acetyl Cholinesterase Inhibitor drugs which can slow down the memory loss in Alzheimer’s dementia.

For more information read Dr Peter Lipski’s book “Your Elderly Parents Failing Health. Is It Ageing Or A Treatable Condition”.